Apparatus for cleaning chalk-board erasers.



T. WALLACE. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CHALK BOARD ERASERS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1910.

1,062,3 1 1 Patented May 20, 1913.

WITNESSES INVENTQR %fi/v vwd fl ,a fl womas llllaca I I BYQLWM W ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 50., WASHINGTON, D c.

- rrnn sra'rns arana orrm THOMAS WALLACE, 0F VALPARAISO, INDIANA.

AIPPARATUS FOR CLEANING CHALK-BOARD ERASERS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS VVALLAon, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at Valparaiso, 'in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Chalk-Board Erasers.

Generally stated, my device is constructed to closely resemble the form of a ladder having a relatively large number of rungs or treads spaced at comparatively short distances apart. The device is placed in a horizontal position over the chalk-trough at the base of the blackboard in connection with which it is to be used; or in the absence of a trough usually provided on a black-board, the device may be provided with a bottom which is attached thereto for receiving the fine particles of chalk which are removed from the eraser in the cleaning operation, the combined cleaner and chalk-receiving de vice being attached to the base of the blackboard.

My object is to provide a cleaner-device which will operate to clean the erasers' quickly and efficiently, and which may be located closely adjacent to the blackboard, thereby permitting the erasers to be effectually cleaned without removing them from the room in which the board is located, as is the usual practice.

Referring to the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a black-board equipped with a chalkcleaning device constructed in accordance with my invention, the cleaner-device in this instance being shown as extending over the chalk-trough forming a part of the blackboard structure. Fig. 2 is a broken enlarged plan view of one end of the cleaner-device illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken at the line A-B on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is an end view of a part of the cleaner-device showing one of the ways in which it may be secured to the chalk-trough. Fig. 5 is an end view of a modifioationof the cleanerdevice illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a broken plan view showing another form in which my invention may be provided. Fig. 7 is a section taken at the line 0-1) on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 8 is a section taken at the line MN on Fig. 6 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 9, an end view of a modification of the device illustrated in Fig. 6.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 1, 1910.

Patented May 20, 1913. Serial No. 575,038.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 in elusive, a black-board in connection with which my improved cleaner-device is illustrated, is represented at 11, the black-board in this instance, as is usual in practice, being provided with a chalk-trough 12, in connection with which the cleaner-device of the figures referred to is used. The cleaner-device'comprises a pair of parallel bars 13, 13 which are spaced apart as represented and are connected together by a series of, preferably, parallel bars 14. The bars 14 are formed of wire and at their opposite ends are looped about the bars 13 as represented at 15, atwhich loop-portions the bars 14 are firmly secured in spaced relation, preferably from one-sixteenth to seven-sikteenths inches apart, the bars 14 preferably extending below the plane occupied by the bars 13 as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereby the last referred to bars operate to form a ledge to prethrough the medium of clips-16 which would be secured as at the screws 17 to the back edge of the trough, the rear one of the bars 13 resting in the clips, so provided near its opposite ends.

Referring to Fig. 5, the construction thercin shown comprises a pair of spaced parallel bars 18 which may be formed of wood and correspond with the bars 13. In thiscase, the transverse cleaner bars represented at 19 and spaced apart as explained of the construction shown in Fig. 2, are set into openings 20 in the inner faces of the bars 18. In this construction, provision is made for catching and retaining the chalk which falls from the eraser during the cleaning operation, this being accomplished by means of a horizontal plate 21, which may be of metal secured to the under sides of the bars 18 andextending the full length of the device.

Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I have shown an embodiment of my invention constructed from a single sheet of metal and formed by slitting and stamping the metal. In this construction, the metal is slit along, preferably, parallel lines transversely of the sheet thereof, but short of its lateral edges, to provide a series of parallel transverse webs or bars 22 which, in the operation of forming the metal to shape, are bent at preferably right-angles to the body-portion of the sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 8, to cause the greater surfaces of the bars 22 to extend at an angle, preferably a right-angle, to the plane of the cleaner-device. The lateral edge-portions 23 and 24 of the sheet form connecting bars for the transverse webs or bars 22 and correspond to the bars 13 of Fig. 2. It is preferred that the metal forming the bar 24 be bent upwardly at an angle to.

the body of the cleaner-device as represented at 25 and formed into a bead 26 to extend longitudinally of the cleaning device along its front side for preventing sticks of chalk placed on the cleaner-device from dropping to the floor.

The device illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 is designed for use in connection with a blackboard in which a trough, such as that represented at 12 in Fig. 1, is provided, the cleaner-device in use extending over the top of the trough. lVhen the device is to be used in connection with a black-board having no trough, I prefer to form a device similar to that shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 with a base-plate represented at 27, which would preferably be formed integral with the bars 23 and 24, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

The operation of the device is as follows:.

The erasers are cleaned by laying them upon the transverse cleaner-bars described and drawing them across these bars, with the result of removing the fine chalk particles from the eraser, whereupon they fall to the chalk-receiver below.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that by constructing a chalk-cleaning device in accordance with my invention, erasers may be readily and effectually cleaned, and the chalk particles removed therefrom intercepted by the chalk-receiver.

TV hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a blackboard, of an erasercleaning device in the form of a grid supported adjacent to said board and comprising side-members extending lengthwise of said board and cross-bars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs.

2. The combination with a blackboard, of a trough supported adjacent to said board and a grid supported to extend over said trough for cleaning said erasers when the latter are rubbed across said grid and comprising side-members extending lengthwise of said trough and cross-bars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs.

3. The combination with a blackboard, of a trough supported adjacent to said board, a grid supported to extend over said trough, and comprising side members extending lengthwise of said troughand cross-bars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs and a ledge extending along the front edge of said grid, for the purpose setfort-h.

4. The combination with ablackboard and its trough at the lower end thereof, of a grid supported to extend over said trough for cleaning erasers when the latter are rubbed across the grid, and comprising side-members extending lengthwise of said trough and crossbars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs, for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination with a blackboard and its trough at the lower end thereof, of a grid supported to extend over said trough for cleaning erasers when the latter are rubbed across the grid, and comprising side-members extending lengthwise of said trough and cross-bars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs, and a ledge extending along the front edge of the grid, for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a blackboard, of an eraser-cleaning device secured to said blackboard and comprising a trough and a grid-covering therefor formed of sidemembers extending lengthwise of said trough and cross-bars extending transversely thereof to afford transversely extending cleaning ribs, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination with a black-board, of

a combined integral eraser-cleaning device and trough therefor mounted on the board and comprising a base-plate forming the base of the trough, uprights connected with said base-plate, a series of transversely-extending bars connected with one of said up rights, and an upwardly-extending plate, forming a ledge, connected with the other of said uprights.

THOMAS WVALLAOE. Witnesses:

JAMES B. DONNELL, HOMER F. BLACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

